Self-publishing is a growing industry and there are more options for self-publishing your book every day it seems. But not all of these options are equal in terms of quality and reliability. 

If you’re new to publishing it can become confusing. If you simply search online you’ll likely find a lot of options and not a lot of information. So we’ve created a list of three of the vetted, trusted, and commonly used printing and distribution services along with their benefits or drawbacks, so you can decide which one/s will work best for you.

A Breakdown of Options for Self-Publishing Your Book by Features

It should be noted that print-on-demand services do not charge fees for uploading your book. They make their money by taking a percentage of the sale price once the book is printed and ordered. The percentage they take varies only slightly. In each of these most reliable and popular options for self-publishing your book, we’ll break down the following: 

  • Distribution
  • Quality
  • Drawbacks/Cautions

KDP AKA, AMAZON

Amazon’s publishing and distribution arm is known as KDP. You can upload and publish your book here and it is distributed via print on demand. They also have eBook options. They’re likely the best choice if you’re only publishing an eBook. They make it easy. Print books are offered in paperback and hardcover. 

Distribution:

KDP distributes your book whether ordered directly via Amazon or a third party. But only if you choose Expanded Distribution. This makes it available to outside distributors(retail and otherwise) and third-party sellers in the US and UK. A third-party seller is someone who buys your book from Amazon and resells it to their customers. 

Quality:

There have been a few complaints about the consistency in quality of KDP printed books lately.  However, they usually are of good enough quality for the average novel or other print-only books. 

Drawbacks/Cautions:

Some words of caution if you choose this as your sole option for self-publishing your book: Make sure you use your own ISBNs (which can be purchased through Bowker) or your distribution will be limited to Amazon. You also are limited by KDP Select, which is only for eBooks, to selling through KDP. Even if you only plan on publishing an eBook, if you want to make it available elsewhere, you should avoid this. 

As far as print quality goes, if you’re publishing an art book, or other speciality book, with photography or other images, you may want to look into other options.  

INGRAM SPARK

Ingram Spark is the largest print-on-demand distributor out there. Unlike Amazon, Ingram does not sell books. They only print and distribute them. They do not offer ISBNs like Amazon either. But this is a good thing because it means they are solely focused on printing and distribution.

Distribution:

All books and formats uploaded and printed via Ingram are available to their global distribution network. Libraries and bookstores order from Ingram, as does Amazon, and other retailers like Apple Books. This makes Ingram the best among the options for self-publishing your book if you want your book to be widely available.

Quality:

Ingram offers many options for print size and quality. Their high-end options are better for Coffee Table, Art, or other specialty books too. The prints are reliably consistent. 

Drawbacks/Cautions: 

Some users find Ingram difficult to navigate and say their customer service leaves something to be desired. There is a bit of a learning curve for things like pricing and formatting as well. But it is worth figuring it out or seeking assistance if you need it!

BARNES & NOBLE PRESS: Yes, they are an option for self-publishing your book!

Barnes & Noble is another one of the options for self-publishing your book. It’s a known and established bookstore that also happens to offer printing and distribution services. They’re a known name for bookselling, so this appeals to many authors. 

Distribution:

The issue with this option is that although they have name recognition and many readers purchase books through them, they only distribute via Barnes & Noble. Anyone can buy your book from them of course, but they do not distribute to other retailers or third-party sellers. In other words, other bookstores, both online or brick and mortar, aren’t going to be purchasing through them to sell at their shops. 

But they also don’t require exclusivity. This means you can use other printing and distribution options too. But the main draw for this particular service would be for those focused more on print quality and those loyal to the name. 

Quality: 

The big bonus of Barnes & Noble Press is that the print quality is very high. This is great if you have a picture book, Coffee Table book, or other specialty book that you want to publish.

Drawbacks/Cautions: 

The major drawback, as we mentioned, is limited distribution. But that’s if you use it exclusively. So unless you have the type of book that requires specific print quality, it may present a challenge. They also have more limited formatting options than KDP or Ingram.

Best All-Around Options for Self-Publishing Your Book

We think a combination of KDP and Ingram Spark is the best option. You get the best of both worlds. Because, yes, if you use KDP expanded distribution, exclusivity is eliminated. And with Ingram Spark, you have global distribution. Just remember to buy your own ISBNs to avoid any issues. 

Best Print Quality 

Barnes & Noble offers the best print quality. This makes it a good choice for authors of specialty books. Although Ingram and KDP are fine for most print-only books. 

Easiest to Use of the Options for Self-Publishing Your Book

KDP is the easiest to navigate according to many users. It’s user-friendly and offers customer support according to those who go through them to publish their books. As we mentioned above, Ingram Spark can be a bit more challenging. But there’s always help and tutorials available.

There are so many options for self-publishing your book out there and there are also a lot of scams. So do your homework, especially if you’re using a service outside of the three trusted options we covered here. And make sure you’re on the official website of all of these options before proceeding.

We should mention BookBaby before we go. You may have heard of it, or it’s come up in search results. And many authors use their services. The difference between them and other print-on-demand options is that they charge fees rather than taking a percentage of your book once it’s printed.

They also offer other services and packages. There are mixed reviews concerning BookBaby from their users. But if you do  your research and find it works for you, we won’t discourage it. 

If you have questions or anecdotes leave them in the comments for the self-publishing community to see. If you feel like you need guidance or assistance with any part of the publishing process(including editing, book covers, or marketing), please reach out and see how we can help. 

You can also browse our blog and see if the answers to your questions can be found there.